It was the last night of London Fashion Week and Burberry threw an extravaganza unlike any that London has ever seen. While waiting for it to begin, I asked ELLE's very own Kate Lanphear what she thought of this week and how it differed from her past experiences. Kate is one of the few major international editors who makes LFW a regular stop on her Fashion Week schedule, so she was at the top of my list of experts on the topic of how LFW has changed in its 25th year. Here's what she had to say:

"Everything changes but everything stays the same. When you are on the bandwagon going from city to city, every city really does have its own flavor and its own feeling and its own voice, and I don't think the voice here in London changed so dramatically. You really get the feeling it one-upped itself, it upped the ante and everything had to become a little bit more polished and produced, for better or for worse. Coming here in the past, I have always said, some of the best ideas I have seen any place, every season were in London.

I don't think that's changed at all. I think there is a renegade spirit about London, so this production is such a departure, but I also think it's amazing that Burberry is here. It's the British brand; for it to be showing in London this season is so important, and we all really came out to celebrate the brand. I think it's great that it's all happening in one season. That was really the exciting thing. it's been so buzzy. It seemed like every week we were getting a new press release about which designer will be showing in London and then everyone was talking and asking, 'Are you going to London?' And it will be very interesting to see what happens next season.

While it did feel different this time, it didn't lose its essence. It is still really grassroots and is creative for the sake of creating. You know, underground, seedy, cool—none of that was lost."